National Grid offers tips for emergency preparedness

by jmaloni

Submitted

Wed, Sep 24th 2014 11:25 am

Company provides customers tips to plan ahead, gear up and stay safe

The northeast U.S. has experienced unprecedented severe weather over
the past several years and National Grid wants to remind customers to plan
ahead, be prepared and stay safe in the event of an emergency.

During National Emergency Preparedness Month in September, National
Grid is continuing its efforts to improve emergency preparedness plans and
encourages customers to do the same. Taking action now, before an emergency strikes,
will help customers efficiently and safely manage crises that can upset their
daily routines.

"Safety is our top priority for customers year-round. This month, in
particular, we're reminding our customers of the importance to plan for
emergencies in advance so they know what's needed to take care of themselves
and their families, and to help others in their communities," said Ken Daly,
National Grid's New York president. "Recently, storms have caused significant
damage and devastated communities throughout the region. Customer preparedness
was critical to our response and restoration efforts, and helped our crews make
considerable strides in getting the lights back on quickly and safely."

At National Grid, being prepared for emergencies is a priority. The
company routinely reviews and enhances emergency response plans and conducts
drills and employee training to reinforce employees' ability to contribute
during storms and participate in service-restoration efforts. Additionally, the
company has launched an extensive campaign using multiple communications
channels to advise customers on what they can do to be better prepared for
storms and possible power interruptions.

"We know our customers depend on us, which is why we are consistently
working hard to improve preparedness in every community we serve, while also
enhancing our communications with communities and individual customers," Daly
said.

National Grid also continuously maintains and strengthens the
reliability of its electricity and gas systems. Additionally, the company has
an award-winning vegetation management program that promotes tree maintenance
to help minimize tree-related power outages or damage to the network - before
storms hit - a leading cause of service interruptions.

National Grid offers the following tips to help customers prepare for
emergencies:

•Build an emergency supply kit. Water, nonperishable food, first aid materials,
prescriptions, flashlight and a battery-powered radio are a few of the items
that are critical to include in an emergency supply toolkit. A fully stocked
toolkit and well-thought-out emergency plan could mean the difference between
life and death. Emergency supply kits should include basic tools and survival
items. For a complete list of recommended emergency supply toolkit items, visitwww.ready.gov.

•Plan for locations. Emergencies and disasters occur without warning, which
is why it's important to have a plan and necessary supplies for the different
locations you and your family frequent. These locations include home, work,
school, vehicles, places of worship, shopping areas and entertainment/sports
locations such as theaters and arenas. How will you get to a safe place? How
will you contact one another? How will you get back together? These are all
important questions to consider when creating your plan. Visit www.ready.gov
to download the family emergency plan and send it to your family and friends.

•Plan for risks. Think about where you live and identify the hazards that have happened
or could happen in your area. Residents living in areas where there is usually
significant snowfall may need to plan more for snowstorms, but residents who
live along the coast may be more affected by hurricanes. Depending upon the
nature of the emergency and your circumstances, one of the first important
decisions is whether to stay where you are or evacuate. You should understand
and plan for both possibilities. No matter where you live, make sure you plan
accordingly. For more information on risk planning, visit www.ready.gov/make-a-plan.

•Know your community's plan. Find out from local government how it communicates
with residents in an emergency. This could be in the form of radio/TV
broadcasts, telephone, door-to-door notifications or a community siren. Get
informed now so you can stay informed when it counts.

•Stay connected to National Grid. Customers who access nationalgrid.com on their mobile devices can stay
connected during service interruptions and learn safety information by going towww.ngrid.com/connectny
or by downloading the National Grid mobile app. Once on the mobile site or app,
customers will be able to view outage maps, report an outage, check the status
of an outage and view restoration information by area. The mobile site also
features a section with storm safety tips and frequently asked questions, along
with contact information for National Grid's customer service team. Customers
also can stay tuned to storm information in the following ways:

•Broadcast text alerts. Customers can opt-in to receive broadcast text
alerts by texting the word STORM to NGRID (64743). Once customers text the
number, NGRID will ask them to verify the state where they are located. After
choosing their state, they will be registered to receive updates for that state.

•Email alerts. Once
customers sign up, they will be able to enjoy several self-service options,
including access to outage reporting, e-billing and more. Customers can always
opt out of email alerts by clicking the "unsubscribe" link at the bottom of all
National Grid emails.

•Social media. Customers can follow National Grid on Twitter
@nationalgridus and search for National Grid on Facebook for news specific to a
service area, or National Grid in general.

•"Outage Central." National Grid also provides customers with multiple
ways to receive up-to-date information on restoration details, safety tips,
important phone numbers, and more through its "Outage Central" webpage. Here, customers can sign up to
receive text and email alerts, stay informed through Facebook and Twitter, and
report or check on power outages. Customers also can visit the "Outage Central"
webpage to view "Power Outages: Preparation and Restoration," a video that
provides a comprehensive look at the steps National Grid takes to prepare for
and prevent outages.

•Use new technologies: With the proliferation of smartphones, many people
turn to apps and social media to learn about disasters, seek help in an emergency,
and to share information about themselves and others during an emergency. The
American Red Cross and the Federal Emergency Management Association offer
downloadable mobile apps for first aid, finding shelter and disaster assistance
to help the public. Visit www.redcross.org and www.FEMA.gov for more information or to download
an app. To view the American Red Cross "Be Red Cross Ready module," visit http://arcbrcr.org.

•Get involved: National
Grid encourages customers to act before disaster strikes and find opportunities
to support community readiness through volunteering. Support disaster
preparation and relief efforts, take part in the community planning process and
show support by donating funds or goods that may help the needs of your
community in times of disaster.

In addition to emergency preparedness efforts and working around the
clock to restore power during an emergency, National Grid works closely with
the American Red Cross to prepare its communities. As part of the American Red
Cross Annual Disaster Giving Program, National Grid operates behind the scenes
with the Red Cross and first responders to address the basic needs (such as
food, shelter and water) of its customers during an emergency. The Annual
Disaster Giving Program allows the Red Cross to help communities prepare for,
and recover from, natural disasters. With the support from National Grid and
other companies, the Red Cross is able to respond to nearly 70,000 disasters
each year.

For more information on National Preparedness Month, and how you can
get started with a plan and emergency toolkit, visit www.ready.gov
or www.redcross.org.
Customers can reach National Grid directly through its toll-free customer
service line at 1-800-642-4272.